In the 24-25 School Year, JediJill's Droid Lab will host four quarterly family challenges throughout the school year. These events are designed to engage students and their families in creative engineering projects that celebrate the seasons and special occasions, allowing them to apply STEAM concepts in fun, practical ways.
Quarterly Challenges:
1. October - Harvest Hoist Challenge
2. December - Winter Wonderland Workshop
Theme: Winter Celebrations
Challenge: Build a catapult at home that can launch marshmallows into hot cocoa cups. The catapult must fit within a 12" x 12" x 12" size limit.
Event Activities:
3. March - Mechanical Leprechaun Traps
4. May - Star Wars Spacecraft Engineers
Theme: Space exploration and Star Wars.
Challenge: Build a model of a Star Wars spacecraft that can travel the farthest distance, utilizing basic principles of aerodynamics.
Quarterly Challenges:
1. October - Harvest Hoist Challenge
- Theme: Autumn and the harvest season.
- Challenge: Families will design and build a simple mechanical device at home to help harvest crops like apples or pumpkins. The focus will be on using levers or wheel and axle systems.
- Must incorporate a minimum of ONE of the six types of simple machines — (the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and/or pulley)
- Device must not be larger than a standard broomstick or smaller than a 12" ruler.
- Event Activities:
- A competition to see which device can gather the most items.
- Awards for creativity, efficiency, and best use of theme.
2. December - Winter Wonderland Workshop
Theme: Winter Celebrations
Challenge: Build a catapult at home that can launch marshmallows into hot cocoa cups. The catapult must fit within a 12" x 12" x 12" size limit.
Event Activities:
- Marshmallow Launch Competition: Test your catapult's accuracy by launching marshmallows into cups at varying distances.
- Awards: Prizes will be awarded for the most accurate catapult, best winter-themed decoration, and most innovative homemade design.
3. March - Mechanical Leprechaun Traps
- Theme: St. Patrick's Day and the folklore of leprechauns.
- Challenge: Create a "trap" that incorporates at least two simple machines, designed to catch a leprechaun (in a fun and harmless way).
- Event Activities:
- Display and demonstration of traps.
- Awards for most creative trap, best use of simple machines, and best storytelling.
4. May - Star Wars Spacecraft Engineers
Theme: Space exploration and Star Wars.
Challenge: Build a model of a Star Wars spacecraft that can travel the farthest distance, utilizing basic principles of aerodynamics.
- Craft must be no larger than 16"L x 12"W x 10"H, and no smaller than 10"L x 6" W x 4"H
- Spacecraft Launch Competition: Families launch their homemade spacecraft to see which can travel the farthest distance forward.
- Prizes: Awards for the longest forward distance traveled, best design, and most creative use of materials.
🍎 Harvest Helper Challenge! 🍎
Join us this October for a fun-filled family engineering event!
Theme: Harvest Helper
Bring the whole family to participate in our Harvest Helper Challenge.
Create a simple yet ingenious device to collect fallen apples using
basic principles of engineering.
It’s a perfect way to combine fun, learning, and the spirit of the harvest season!
🔧 Challenge Details:
- Task: Build a "Harvest Helper" to pick up apples without bending down.
- Key Mechanism: Incorporate a lever, like a long-handled grabber.
- Materials: Wooden dowels, hooks, broom handles, or strong paper tubes.
- Decoration: Adorn your Harvest Helper with harvest-themed motifs like leaves, vines, or apple designs.
- Lever Design: Attach a hook or cup at one end of a stick to grab the apples.
- Handle: Ensure the handle is comfortable for children—wrap it with soft materials or add a foam grip.
- Testing: Try out your device at home with light objects to ensure functionality.
🍂 Event Day Activities:
- Where: [TBD]
- When: [TBD]
- Activities: Demonstrate your Harvest Helper in our mock orchard.
- Collect as many apples as you can and enjoy the fun!
- Awards: Prizes will be awarded for:
- Most Effective Apple Collector
- Best Decorated Device
- Most Innovative Use of Materials
Let’s see who can harvest the most apples with their homemade devices.
More information to come on the next challenges...